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Black campaign staffers n
From Page A1
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Jesse Jackson state campaign coordinator) Rex Harrison and
(Durham educator) Dr. Lavonia Allison are not window-dressers. I
can assure you that our input is heard. My role is not just dealing
with minorities."
Not only do the blacks in the various campaigns affect the stands
a candidate takes while he is running for office, but they also have
an influence on what that candidate does if he wins the election,
! J
saia Ben Kuttin, special assistant for minority affairs to Gov. Jim
Hunt who also serves as a statewide coordinator in Hunt's
senatorial campaign.
"We have to make sure they meet those issues they addressed
during the campaign," said Ruffin. "When Hunt campaigned, he
said he wanted more black (state) Supreme Court judges, and he
has addressed that concern."
Clarence Lightner, former mayor of Raleigh and a statewide
coordinator for the Mondale campaign, agrees.
"The candidate has to be accountable for what he promises while
he is running," said Lightner. "And we have to make sure he is."
"This whole thing of accountablity has become a very important
issue," said Joe Jenkins, who works with John Brooks' campaign
for labor commissioner. "(When they) promise and deliver to a
particular candidate some votes, then blacks expect to see some
results from that. We have got to a point where nQjthing can be
taken for granted." .
Robinson said it's unwise for a candidate to forget his workers
after he is elected to an office.
"If the candidate is elected, it behooves the individual to listen to
the people who worked for him in the field," said Robinson.
"Failure to do so will cause a lot of problems for the individual
next time around."
When the election is over, Lynch said, she doesn't intend to go
back to Mecklenburg County without having some input into the
decisions Edmisten makes if he wins.
"The team of people across the state that are minorities, meaning
women and Indians (as well as blacks), ... intend to be his conscience,"
said Lynch. "I don't intend to return to Mecklenburg
County and not have some innut on what'c onino r?n *?
-- ---i ? - ev*"? w" ?"
But accountablity apparently doesn't stop with the candidate.
Although not running for political office themselves, the blacks in
the various campaigns say they also have to be accountable.
"We are an extension of the candidate,said Stith. "If I didn't
believe in the candidate, then I wouldn't work for him. But I tell
hocal developers defendpi
From Page A1
tk
neighborhood. asset to offer planned growth in
<Jthe people we 'have '"Bfceri - the area?'
smaffsegmeSfof til? 1 Iff iBPPbneighborhood,"
Kennedy said, ject is unfounded. One of those
adding that he hasn't met anyone complaints -- that the complex
who actually knew where the pro- would significantly increase trafperty
is located. fic on Carver School Road - isn't
A prime factor in the dispute, true, they say. They say much of
Trollinger said, is the outright the traffic would flow onto Lansopposition
to any form of multi- ing Drive and Highway 52.
family housing in the area by
Monticello Park residents. They also say that Carver
The residents of the well-kept, Scho?' has become a hi?h sch??'
middle-class neighborhood that there won'1 be that many
associate multi-family housing children walking to school along
u,;?h imu-r.nl Carver School Road- which ha*
mui lUTT-ivui iii/uauig t '
Trollinger said. And, despite the no sidewalks. In anY case, they
fact that the apartments will rent say? ^arver School Road is wide
for $275 to $300 per month, enou8h t0 accommodate students
Trollinger thinks the residents are walking to school without posing
afraid the project will pave the any hazards,
way for other multi-family hous- Concerning complaints that
ing projects that may be less the project would lead to an indesirable
than his. crease in crime, Trollinger said
The city's Northeast Ward is V
the only section of town without
multi-family housing, he said.
"The statement they made that an
they (the opponents) didn't want
any multi-family housing in the <g
area is unrealistic," Trollinger C%X
said. "It is inevitable that this is X\-rXlX 'V*X.
going to happen.'' CtVTI'
- The developers have designed^
?the^Oak I4tH prefect-with young ~ """"
professional people in mind, they Elegance is afforda
say - people who can afford to choQse frQm hJ j.
live in si.igle-family houses, but c 1 r r*ifdon't
want to worry about Select from our Ch.pp.
maintenance and yard work. pedestal bowl bonbon
Most of the 825- to 850-square- wine coaster. Each pru
foot apartments would contain Best of all, when
two bedrooms and all would include
washer and dryer hook-ups .
and, eventually, cable television,
the developers say. Ff^k
The brick apartments will have if'J
!. _ i_ 1 , e 1-? *
masonue gaoies, ij parking g f f
spaces per apartment, air condi- . Ifj J
tioning, a refrigerator, wall-to- i/ '"ft
wall carpeting, a playground and
nature trail, they say. | JCf
will add between $1.5 and $2
million to the city and county tax
base when the complex is completed
within the next five years.
They also note that there is a '"Steinjpir^ii
shortage of available housing in
the area. Of the approximately
1,400 available housing units in D
the area, the latest census data in- "
dicate that only 3.5 percent of it
was vacant at any given time. ? .
"Basically, we just want to of- anes
fer people a choice," Kennedy Use one of our conver
said. "We feel it would be an
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ot window dressing p
everybody there are some things I agree with him on and others
where I disagree.
"The black masses look to the black campaign worker to be a <
key representative. In anv ramnainn tham ->?
. ? ... ?..j vwitipuigu uiviw ?i t uui mm many dijicks
and the blacks look to those few for accountability."
Accountability is a given, Jenkins said. "That (being accountable>kinda
goes with the territory if you are but there for (the candidate),"
he said. "People feel they have a right to call on you."
Said Ruffin: "I'm on the line and I should be."
And Robinson: "You're definitely more a public figure than the
other private citizens."
But sometimes people can expect too much from a campaign
worker or volunteer, said Robinson. For example, hundreds of
black voters across the state campaigned for former Charlotte
Mayor Eddie Knox in his bid to become the Democratic nominee
for governor. But, since Knox lost a bitter primary runoff to Rufus
Edmisten. he and members of his family have openly endorsed
Republican candidates - his wife and brother endorsing Martin
and Helms, and Knox himself endorsing President Reagan.
Black Knox supporters, including Charlotte Mayor Harvey
Gantt, have weathered their share of criticism for Knox's controversial
about-face. *
"I don't think that's fair," said Ruffin. "You are dealing with
an atypical situation now. People took a chance and based it on Eddie's
record.
"You take a chance, but you take a chance when you marry. But
that shouldn't stop you." or
Said Robinson: "If Eddie Knox didn't let his key field people
know what was going down, that was inappropriate. But it's also
inappropriate to hold those people accountable for the mistakes a
candidate makes."
Gantt said he made the decision to support Knox based on
Knox's record as mayor of Charlotte.
"His record on progressive issues reflect those of Hunt ?nH th#?
New South," said Gantt. "In my own way, I'm a little disturbed
because my credibility was on the line."
Despite the risks, the campaign workers say politics is too important
to risk having no sayso at all.
"We are able to use the system more to help the masses of black
people," said Ruffin. "We are moving ahead."
"It's not the best situation, but it's the best we can deal with
now," said Stith. "Without that, you don't have anything."
roposed apartments ?
the developers will hire a respon- rezoning request.
sible company to manage the pro-' "We're not trying to ram
i _a ? L- ? - -
jwi r- 4ig,one. wiu pc* anyming aown anybody's
Allowed to rent an apartment if" throat," Kennedy said. "We
he or she isn't gainfully want to stay friends with these
employed. And, since the apart- people.
ments will rent for more than the "We want to work with the
rent-houses directly across^he people in the developments to
street, Trollinger said it is unlike- change the project in a way that
ly that the apartments will attract would be acceptable, in terms of
persons with a tendency to com- density."
mit crimes.
The three men said they're try- And, according to Trollinger,
ing to arrange a public meeting at "We feel there could be a good
Carver School to explain the pro- economic marriage between
ject to area residents before the single-family housing and multiNov.
5 public hearing on the family housing in the area "
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